The present invention relates to bicycle shifters, and more particularly, to a trigger shifter having a pull lever movable through a first plane of motion and a release lever movable through a second plane of motion, wherein the first and second planes of motion form an angle therebetween in the range of 20 to 70 degrees.
A typical bicycle trigger shifter includes pull and release levers driving pawls engageable with a toothed disk rotatably joined to a cable spool, the shifter pulling and releasing a control cable connected to a gear change device. When the pull lever is actuated, the cable spool is rotated in the cable-pull direction. When the release lever is actuated, the cable spool rotates in the cable-release direction. The pull and release levers are biased to return to their rest positions after each actuation. The shifter may further include a detent mechanism for holding the cable spool in a selected gear position.
The patent EP 1 270 396 A2 discloses a trigger shifter having pull and release levers. The shifter is mounted to a lever bracket that supports a brake lever. Alternatively, the shifter may be a separate unit from the brake lever. The pull and release levers are disposed below the brake lever device. The levers pivot, like a cable spool, about a common axis extending perpendicular to the handlebar. The pull lever is actuated by a thumb moving in a forward riding direction, and the release lever is actuated by an index finger moving rearward, opposite the riding direction. A uniquely shaped pointer reflects the current gear position to an indicator located above the handlebar. The shifter housing is located below the handlebar and extends forward in the riding direction. The pull and release levers are also disposed below the handlebar. The release lever is disposed in front of the handlebar and the pull lever is disposed directly below the handlebar.
A disadvantage of this shifter is that the release lever is disposed between the handlebar and the brake lever, such that the release lever gets in the way when the index finger is wrapped around the handlebar, being unreachable by the index finger during actuation of the brake lever. This configuration prevents simultaneous braking and shifting in the release direction. Accordingly, there is a need to provide a trigger shifter that allows simultaneous braking and shifting in the release direction.